Parliamentary Debates (Hansard)
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Thursday Volume 564 20 June 2013 No. 21 HOUSE OF COMMONS OFFICIAL REPORT PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES (HANSARD) Thursday 20 June 2013 £5·00 © Parliamentary Copyright House of Commons 2013 This publication may be reproduced under the terms of the Open Parliament licence, which is published at www.parliament.uk/site-information/copyright/. 1033 20 JUNE 2013 1034 Caroline Dinenage (Gosport) (Con): While Government House of Commons money is, of course, important, will the Minister join me in celebrating the amazing fundraising work of our Thursday 20 June 2013 museums, including the Submarine museum in Gosport, which has raised more than £6.5 million through heritage funding and lots of fundraising in order to restore The House met at half-past Nine o’clock HMS Alliance? Mr Vaizey: I am delighted to endorse what my hon. PRAYERS Friend says. There is a huge amount of philanthropy outside London and we have made it far easier to give [MR SPEAKER in the Chair] to the arts. We have invested through the Catalyst Fund in endowments and fundraising capacity. BUSINESS BEFORE QUESTIONS 16. [160620] Hugh Bayley (York Central) (Lab): The artefacts in the science museums, including locomotives CONTINGENCIES FUND ACCOUNT 2012-13 in the National Railway museum, are expensive to Ordered, maintain and that museum is concerned it will not have That there be laid before this House an Account of the enough money for conservation, preservation, research Contingencies Fund, 2012-13, showing: and dissemination of information about its collections. (1) A Statement of Financial Position; Will the Minister address specifically that point in his (2) A Statement of Cash Flows; and evidence to the Culture, Media and Sport Committee? (3) Notes to the Accounts; together with the Certificate and Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General thereon.— Mr Vaizey: I am sure I will specifically address that (Greg Clark) point, because I am sure the Committee will ask me about it. The Science Museum Group has aired a lot of its concerns, and we will certainly address them. Oral Answers to Questions Entertainment Industry (Low-paid/Unpaid Jobs) 2. Kerry McCarthy (Bristol East) (Lab): What discussions CULTURE, MEDIA AND SPORT she has had with the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills on trends in the number of low paid and unpaid jobs in the entertainment industry. The Secretary of State for Culture Olympics, Media [160604] and Sport was asked— The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Culture, National Museums (2010 Spending Review) Media and Sport (Mr Edward Vaizey): The national minimum wage underpins wage levels for those at work 1. Andrew Gwynne (Denton and Reddish) (Lab): and applies equally in the creative sector as elsewhere. What assessment she has made of the effect of the 2010 The Government support industry in its efforts to provide spending review on national museums outside London. employment opportunities for young people in the [160603] entertainment industry through initiatives such as the creative employment programme, the charity Creative The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Culture, Access, and the forthcoming launch of UK Music’s Media and Sport (Mr Edward Vaizey): The 2010 spending skills academy. review protected free admission to the permanent collections of our national museums by limiting cuts in resource Kerry McCarthy: I thank the Minister for that response, funding to 15% in real terms. Resource grant funding and I particularly welcome what he said yesterday about for national museums will reduce by only 5% in 2015-16, paid internships in the creative industries. It is still the and they will be given flexibility to manage their budgets case, however, that many professional freelancers are independently. expected to work for nothing or for very low pay. Sometimes, everyone involved in a production is being Andrew Gwynne: With the Science Museum Group’s paid except for the musicians and actors who are fronting projected deficit to increase from the current £2 million it up. What will the Minister do about that? to £4 million or even £6 million, depending on the outcome of the spending review, what confidence does Mr Vaizey: The exploitation of interns is unacceptable, the Minister have in the future viability of that group, and as I said, the music industry is working hard. In and in it maintaining the historically important collections particular, UK Music takes a strong lead on the issue at Manchester’s Liverpool Road station site, home of and is setting up the UK music skills academy. The the Museum of Science and Industry? charity Creative Access, with the BPI, will give work experience to 300 individuals who will be paid. I pay Mr Vaizey: Since the Science Museum Group took tribute to the hon. Lady who continues to campaign on over the running of the Manchester Museum of Science this matter and many other issues in the music industry. and Industry, visitor numbers have risen by 30%, so the answer is there; the group is running MOSI incredibly Sir Tony Baldry (Banbury) (Con): Does my hon. effectively, and will continue to run its three or four Friend consider that the question seriously underestimates outposts outside London effectively. the value of extras and walk-on parts in the theatre and 1035 Oral Answers20 JUNE 2013 Oral Answers 1036 the palace of varieties? One needs walk-on parts to more homes and businesses will get access to superfast swell a progress, start a scene or two—to be deferential, broadband by the end of the Parliament. Furthermore, or glad to be of use. Is not one of the problems with too the rural community broadband fund is already further many theatre troupes that everyone wants to play the supporting rural communities, having made its first role of Hamlet, which is just not possible? award to Rothbury in Northumberland. My hon. Friend will be aware that many local authorities with large Mr Speaker: I hope that was not autobiographical in rural communities in areas such as Lancashire, Cheshire any way. and Cambridgeshire are going further with investment. I know that he will be doing all he can to encourage his Mr Vaizey: I concur with my hon. Friend that not local authority to do likewise. everyone can be Hamlet. Stephen Timms (East Ham) (Lab): The Financial Mr Barry Sheerman (Huddersfield) (Lab/Co-op): Does Times reported last week that the National Audit Office the Minister realise that there is such a pool of talent out was to deliver a very critical report on this exercise, there, including people with high, graduate qualifications? arguing that it failed to deliver a proper bidding process, Surely we could use those people as a resource in our after only BT bid, saying it lacked competition and schools, for example, or leading community groups and describing it as so on. We must think of new ways and channels to use “a train crash waiting to happen”. these young people to give them a start and an income. Why did Ministers forget the importance of competition in this exercise? Mr Vaizey: The hon. Gentleman makes a very important point, so I hope that he will support the Government, Maria Miller: The right hon. Gentleman will also who want to allow people to teach in schools if they know that the NAO has said that we have some of the have the ability to inspire our young people, rather than best and most transparent processes for evaluating the shut them out artificially by forcing them to take a work going on in this area, so I would encourage him to teaching degree. read the full report. Pete Wishart (Perth and North Perthshire) (SNP): Neil Carmichael (Stroud) (Con): Good progress is Surely it cannot be right that musicians and entertainers being made in Gloucestershire on broadband, but does are about the only group of industrial workers still the Secretary of State agree that it is important to work expected to work for nothing in the 21st century. Will the with the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Minister guarantee that no Government or Government- Affairs in promoting local small businesses in places sponsored event will now ever allow musicians to go unpaid? such as Stroud, Dursley and Nailsworth? Mr Vaizey: If the hon. Gentleman wants to give me Maria Miller: My hon. Friend is absolutely right. We some examples, I will certainly look into them, but I must ensure that when we have access to superfast would not expect the Government to start from that broadband in local areas, businesses understand its point of view. value, and that is why we have always said that this is not only about investing in the roll-out of this infrastructure, Broadband (Rural Areas) but about ensuring that businesses understand how it can help them. 3. Andrew Bingham (High Peak) (Con): What progress she has made on delivering broadband to Helen Goodman (Bishop Auckland) (Lab): Last week, rural areas. [160605] I attended the launch of Digital Teesdale. Will the Secretary of State join me in congratulating Labour The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Culture, Durham county council and the voluntary group Barnard Media and Sport (Mr Edward Vaizey): Twenty-six local Castle Vision, which are the partners that have delivered broadband contracts have now been signed under our it, and will she say why she is signing contracts for rural broadband programme, representing over 70% of delivery in 2016, when her target is for delivery in 2015? funding. Derbyshire supplier bids are expected in July, with installation commencing in 2014, and the first Maria Miller: I thank the hon. Lady for raising such cabinets are expected to be rolled out in advance of the an important project as the one in Durham.